Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano is a Grammy award winning group who has shared the tradition of Mexican Mariachi music with audiences throughout North America for almost 50 years.  Los Camperos features the finest musicians from the United States and Mexico, and leading the band is Mexican born Natividad "Nati" Cano. He brought his talents and teachings to Los Angeles where he paired up with Los Camperos almost 50 years ago.  Los Camperos has collaborated with Linda Ronstadt, performing on her album Canciones de Mi Padre, which the band promoted on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the Grammy Awards Show.  Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano has recorded eight albums, including cELLabration! A Tribute to Ella Jenkins which earned it a shared Grammy for "Best Musical Album for Children."  In Fall 2007, Los Camperos will be premiering its new show "DAY OF THE DEAD", commissioned by UCLA.  Today, Los Camperos continues to tour its high-energy show around the US and Canada, while still performing with Linda Ronstadt ... read full bio

Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano has existed for nearly 44 years and is noted for demanding musical arrangements that highlight the individual skills and voices of the players. The ensemble employs the finest musicians from Mexico and the United States and has performed for audiences throughout the United States and Canada.

Los Camperos is led by Natividad "Nati" Cano. A traditionalist and a visionary, Cano has both mirrored and shaped the history of mariachi music. He was born in 1933 into a family of mariachi musicians in Jalisco, Mexico, one of the many west Mexican communities that gave life to the mariachi tradition. His career took him first to nearby Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city, and then further away to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, he and Los Camperos emerged as a major driving force of the mariachi music tradition in the United States.

In December 2006, Cano's contributions to the American music landscape were recognized when he became one of the first artists nationwide to win a USA Fellowship from United States Artists. In its inaugural year, United States Artists awarded 50 USA Fellowships to a total of 54 artists. Mr. Cano was one of only five musicians to be named a USA Fellow in the inaugural year.

Mariachi Los Camperos was one of four mariachis that collaborated on Linda Ronstadt's album, Canciones de Mi Padre (Songs of my Father). In 1988-89, the group worked on the promotion of the album, including national television appearances on programs including The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the Grammy Awards Show. They also appear on Linda Ronstadt's Mas Canciones (More Songs).  

The ensemble has recorded nine albums including: Puro Mariachi (Indigo Records, 1961); North of the Border (RCA/Carino Records, 1965); El Super Mariachi, Los Camperos (Latin International, 1968); Valses de Amor (La Fonda Records, 1973); Canciones de Siempre (PolyGram Latino, 1993); Sounds of Mariachi (Delfin Records, 1996) and Fiesta Navidad (Delfin Records, 1997); Viva el Mariachi (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2003); Llegaron Los Camperos, (Smithsonian Folkways, 2005.) Los Camperos shared a 2005 Best Musical Album for Children Grammy for cELLabration!, A tribute to Ella Jenkins. In 2006, the album Llegaron Los Camperos was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album. In 2008, the group released their third CD with Smithsonian Folkways, entitled Amor, Dolor y Lágrimas.